China today condemned North Korea for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile and urged all sides to "act prudently" and avoid taking steps that could escalate tension in the region.

China today condemned North Korea for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile and urged all sides to “act prudently” and avoid taking steps that could escalate tension in the region. North Korea yesterday launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the second time in a month, a day after US Congress voted to impose new tougher sanctions against Russia, Iran and Pyongyang. In a statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, “the Chinese side is concerned about the current situation”. He also noted that relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council had explicit stipulations on launches conducted by North Korea.

He said the Chinese side opposes North Korea’s missile launch in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions. China hopes that relevant parties can act prudently, avoid taking actions that could escalate tensions, and maintain regional peace and stability, Geng said. Geng also “strongly urged” South Korea and the US to respect China’s concerns and stop the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system. He was reacting to reports that South Korean President Moon Jae-in yesterday ordered his aides to consult with their US counterparts about the deployment of four more THAAD mobile launchers after North Korea’s test launch of a ballistic missile.

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“The Chinese side is deeply concerned about the situation,” Geng said, noting that China’s position on THAAD is clear and consistent. The deployment of the missile system by the US and South Korea will neither address the security concerns of the South Korea nor contribute to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, Geng said. The deployment will severely damage the regional strategic balance and harm the security interests of countries in the region, including China, Geng said. China is apprehensive that THAAD radars has the ability to monitor most part of its territory, specially its defence installations.